BILL MARTIN - Mendocino Art Center
BILL MARTIN - Mendocino Art Center
BILL MARTIN - Mendocino Art Center
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Fort Bragg<br />
A Great Place to Shop<br />
16<br />
Shopping is its own art form and deserves a place<br />
on everyone’s itinerary. And Fort Bragg, a largely undiscovered<br />
little gem, is a fun and quirky shopping destination.<br />
This small town on the spectacular Pacific Ocean<br />
is the largest coastal town between San Francisco and<br />
Eureka. And even though only 7,000 people live there,<br />
shopping in Fort Bragg can be an all-day experience.<br />
One of the first things you’ll notice is the renewal<br />
taking place in the historic downtown. Many small scale<br />
streets are newly-paved and designed for strolling – with<br />
shops, lots of shops. There are no big-box stores, and<br />
almost no chain stores. Most are locally-owned businesses<br />
such as boutiques, bookstores, clothing and shoe<br />
stores, hand-crafted gifts, bed<br />
and bath shops, antique stores,<br />
and home décor galleries.<br />
If you know about Fort Bragg’s<br />
history as a fishing and logging<br />
town, you might be surprised<br />
by the wealth of art. The county<br />
has more artists per capita<br />
than any other rural county,<br />
which means you’ll find galleries,<br />
shops and cafes showcasing<br />
famous and soon-to-be-so<br />
artists and craftspeople. There<br />
are unexpected finds around<br />
every corner, numerous galleries<br />
and other businesses showcasing<br />
local paintings, jewelry,<br />
fine woodworking and quality<br />
crafts.<br />
There are even monthly ‘First Friday’ <strong>Art</strong> Walks<br />
which offer a combination of music, dancing, art and late<br />
evening shopping. Recent <strong>Art</strong> Walks included Sidewalk<br />
Chalk <strong>Art</strong> for artists of all ages, and participatory Street<br />
<strong>Art</strong> ranging from small graffiti-style statements to grand<br />
masterpieces. There’s also been free family skating at the<br />
<strong>Mendocino</strong> Coast Recreation <strong>Center</strong>, and outdoor entertainment<br />
provided by Two Blue Dudes, Kevin and the<br />
Coconuts, and the Trillium Tribe Dancers. All that just<br />
to entertain you as you wander between the art displays<br />
and complementary snacks and libations provided by<br />
galleries, restaurants and shops.<br />
And as you walk the historic district of Main, Laurel<br />
and Franklin Streets, you’ll discover not just great shops,<br />
but also a coffeehouse with live music, an ice cream parlor<br />
with handmade ice cream, local wine tasting, a micro<br />
brewpub, and restaurants and cafes for every taste and<br />
budget. Once you’ve satisfied your shopping and food<br />
cravings, you can take yourself on a walking tour of the<br />
town’s ‘Oddities’ (see related story), explore a city park<br />
with redwoods too big to put your arms around, or cross<br />
a creek at the ocean’s edge on the historic Pudding Creek<br />
Trestle. All walked-out? Maybe there’s still time for a<br />
rejuvenating massage at one of Fort Bragg’s spas.<br />
Shopping in Fort Bragg is more than one-of-a-kind<br />
shops brimming with quality merchandise. There’s also<br />
a strong “Shop the Coast First” attitude, embraced by<br />
residents who understand they’re helping to sustain<br />
their unique lifestyle when they support local merchants.<br />
The folks who live here realize that whether it’s buying<br />
Christmas gifts or replacing worn socks, the money<br />
they spend in town allows mom-and-pop shops to keep<br />
friends and family members employed.<br />
So the next time your itinerary calls for a shopping<br />
trip, discover Fort Bragg – a small town destination that<br />
wants for nothing but infinite time to explore it.<br />
Fort Bragg ‘Oddities’<br />
Walking Tour<br />
It’s nice to walk. Walking is a wonderful way to<br />
get to know Fort Bragg – which is why Ron Bloomquist